Family law is emotional – but maybe the most important thing to remember is how it will impact your children. Parents who are in the middle of a child custody case may want to know – how much are child support payments in California? RJZ Law Group – located in Valencia, CA – has plenty of experience in the family law courtroom and is prepared to help you navigate the legal obstacles you may face
How To Calculate Child Support Payments in California
When you choose to separate from your spouse or partner and you have children – who pays and who receives child support becomes an important question to ask. To ensure a fair process, the State of California employs a standard process to calculate child support payments. The process employs a complicated formula that not only factors in your income, but also the amount of time you spend with your child or children. The child support formula established by the State of California will still apply – regardless of whether you and your co-parent reach an agreement or a judge makes the decision for you.
What Is the California Child Support Calculator?
The California Child Support Calculator will set the foundation for your child support payments – but it is important to note that a judge may order a different amount of monetary support based on several factors. When a case involves – divorce, unmarried parents, a dissolution of a domestic partnership or a request to modify current child support – the general formula in California determines that the difference between parental incomes and the less time that the higher-earning parent spends with the child, the more that parent will have to pay in child support.
Information that factors into the amount of child support paid includes – gross income, the amount of time each child will spend with each parent and additional costs in the child’s interests. Gross income will include your salary, any business income, pension payments, investment income and dividends, additional medical and social benefits, child support from any previous marriages and any employee benefits that reduce living expenses.
Here is the formula used by the California Child Support Calculator to determine child support payments. Child Support = K (HN – (H%)(TN))
- K = The combined total income of both parents that will be devoted to child support – which is calculated by a separate formula based on how much each parent earns and the time that the higher-earning parent spends with the child.
- HN = The high net is the higher-earning parent’s net monthly disposable income.
- H% = The percentage of time that the higher-earning parent will have primary care and responsibility for the child or children in comparison to their co-parent. When a placement agreement is used, this number is based on the average of those estimated percentages.
- TN = The combined total net disposable income of both parents combined each month.
READ MORE: How To File for Child Custody in California
Are you in the middle of a child custody case? You may have asked – how much are child support payments in California – and we can help you answer that question and more at the RJZ Law Group. Contact the RJZ Law Group legal team today to learn more about civil litigation!